The radio frequency (RF) spectrum is a limited commodity. Only a small portion of the spectrum can be assigned to each communications industry. The assigned spectrum, therefore, must be used efficiently in order to allow as many frequency users as possible to have access to the spectrum. Multiple access modulation techniques are some of the most efficient techniques for utilizing the RF spectrum. Examples of such modulation techniques include time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), and code division multiple access (CDMA).
Wireless service providers also seek other ways of using the available spectrum as efficiently as possible. Quality of Service (QoS) is rapidly becoming a crucial element of wireless networks; the term refers to the ability of the service provider to deliver a certain level of transmission and reception quality to the application that the wireless user is running. This may involve different levels of bandwidth, latency, or transmission errors on the network and over-the-air connections that transport data between the mobile user and the content server servicing the application.
Different wireless applications require different QoS levels. For example, voice communications require relatively low-latency two-way communication. E-mail applications require less bandwidth and permit higher latency in data transmissions through the system. But, in general, e-mail applications require a low error rate in the delivery of the data (so that the integrity of the message is ensured) and, therefore, require re-transmissions of lost data packets. On the other hand, streaming audio or video requires a high-speed, low-latency data rate in one direction, but does not require re-transmission of lost packets.
Unfortunately, in conventional wireless networks, all mobile devices receive the same QoS, regardless of whether the applications being run by the user actually require a high level of QoS. Further, there is no means of communicating the user's application needs to the RAN. Users are scheduled for RAN resources on a first come/first served basis. This results in inefficient use of the available RF spectrum and bandwidth.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method for providing a system to customize and control Quality of Service on a per-use basis.